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Gamers force EA to change draconian DRM!

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beefjack.com writes: "EA did not consider that one of the biggest things to put gamers off of select PC titles such as Spore, would actually occur before the game was even installed.

Digital rights management (DRM) is a means of controlling the amount of machines that programs can be installed onto in an effort to crack down on internet piracy......"
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beefjack.com

[via beefjack.com]
mrwiggles - contributor
Published: 453 days 13 hours ago | News | Gaming | PC | Industry News
 
 

Showing: 1 - 18 of 18 Comments
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UltimateIdiot911 - 453 days 13 hours ago
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1 -
I still don't like their new idea but it's one step in the right direction i guess. At least gamers protest are getting through EA just like Bad Company and their pay for weapons dlc.
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JsonHenry - 453 days 12 hours ago
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1.1 -
That is like saying if I own more than three PS3s that I can only play the game on three of them total, or I have to buy another copy of the game. NO THANKS!
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ReBurn - 453 days 12 hours ago
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1.2 -
How many PS3's do you own?

I don't have a problem with companies looking for ways to prevent illegal use of their software as long as it doesn't interfere with my legitimate use of the software. I think allowing three installs is reasonable.

The best I've seen so far is what Apple does. You can use your iTunes on any 5 computers at once. If you want to use it on a 6th you need to deauthorize another machine. I would be OK with only being able to use a game on one machine at a time.
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rroded - 453 days 11 hours ago
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1.3 - this drm has nothing to do with stoping or even slowing down pirates
its all about making it so you cant sell or buy the game used.
pure bs since the game was pirated and released a week b4 the launch...
i really hope they learn a lesson here
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f789790 - 453 days 7 hours ago
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1.4 - I hope EA will notice the obvious results of the protection
They're protection lasted -4 days. Thats right! Negative days! It was cracked before it was released! Well how about that. And here I sit with my legal copy that wont let me create a second account for my younger brother on the same computer.
"Sorry little brother, your creations SUCK. I'm going to have to delete them so they dont ruin my name."
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v1c1ous - 453 days 13 hours ago
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2 - but you have to think about
why these measures were taken in the first place
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UltimateIdiot911 - 453 days 12 hours ago
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2.1 -
To make money. DRM is mostly design to undermined the second hand market. DLC is to pump more money out of gamers. (which shouldn't be the case, many should be free or there in the first place).

I don't like how DRM and costly DLC are there but it seems like protesting does work to a degree.
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v1c1ous - 453 days 9 hours ago
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2.2 - oh yeah you're right
2nd hand pc games are KILLING pc gaming.

i mean, just look at how many used PC games you bought last year compared to console used games....

oh wait..
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f789790 - 453 days 7 hours ago
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2.3 - I rarely sell my pc games
Console games on the other hand......yeah. HELLO EBAY!
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jerethdagryphon - 453 days 12 hours ago
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3 - 3 ps3
i have 3 well 2 are mine and ones 90% mine 2 instates one here in uk :)

but ontopic its about damn time ea listened
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Wardog1368 - 453 days 12 hours ago
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4 -
Now it sounds a bit more realistic.
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I Call 9MM - 453 days 11 hours ago
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5 -
The problem with DRM is that, in the end all it does is hinder the legitimate user who bought the game. The people pirating the games have the better deal, since they won't be dealing with the DRM, since it was already removed for them. DRM just doesn't work, it always gets cracked. The only game I can think of that lasted long enough was Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory. That game lasted around a year and a half before the pirates and hackers cracked it. But the starforce protection used was horrendous, and known for ruining computers in the process, and not enabling users to use some of their programs with it installed (all copying programs). The pirates who cracked the other starforce protected games didn't even have to deal with that stuff, and are getting the better experience.

Personally, I think that if the if the publishers want to keep their games from being pirated, they should try and shut down torrent sites (really, does anyone actually use them to find torrents for legal stuff, don't think so. Just like people by Free to Air receivers to watch free satellites? You know he or she are going to use it to watch Dish Network, who are they trying to fool), and stop bit torrent file sharing and other P2P services. I personally would hate it, but how many people do you know who are willing to host server space for multi-gigabyte games these days? Nobody, that's why bit torrent is out there now, everybody shares, everybody pirates. It's a nice service to have, but it is doing far more damage to publishers then any good.
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jerethdagryphon - 453 days 11 hours ago
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6 - define legal
if you mean download a drm free game that you dont own a legal version thats illigal

i tend to use torrents to dl replacments for games that are out of production and damaged
that i legaly own

or divxes of films i legaly own
but in the whole your argument holds water
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I Call 9MM - 453 days 11 hours ago
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6.1 -
Oh sure, it isn't illegal to download stuff you already own. I've had a few game CDs break, scratched too badly or just gone missing and it's nice to be able to download a replacement. And sometimes it's easier to download a rip of a movie you own then try and do it yourself with your personal copy.

But, the majority of people are using it for movies, programs, games, music etc... that they do not own. And all of that is lost revenue that they (the publishers) can't make back. Movies have probably already made their profits while in theaters even before the discs come out and from merchandising, and many artists probably make more in endorsements and concerts then they do on discs (I'm not justifying it, as you will see...), but developers and publishers of video games don't get the chances like the last two formats do to make a profit. Their only profit comes from selling the game to you. And not only that, but they get diddly squat when you bring the game back to Gamestop or EB and they turn around and sell it again for 5 bucks less.

Really, if people stopped downloading games illegally, publishers and developers could make games with much larger budgets, hire more artists and other staff members and make some really, potentially better games then they are now. And, if it is true that 9 out of 10 PC games are being pirated, if people stopped pirating them, they could even go down in price quite a bit too if 10 out of 10 were buying them. Think about that. Those 50 dollar PC games could sell for 25 dollars and still make more money (that is of course, those 10 people actually all bought the game).

Anyway, we'd all probably end up with a lot less horse crap games, and a lot more great games, in theory, then we have now. Imagine if Crysis had been fleshed out even more, and made into a much longer, more engaging game instead of very nice looking tech demo. There are a lot more games that fall into this category too.
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PirateThom - 453 days 9 hours ago
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6.2 -
It actually is illegal to download stuff you already own.

You're allowed to make back ups, but you have to make them yourself.
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f789790 - 453 days 7 hours ago
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6.3 - Nobody cares though PirateThom
It morally okay to do. It is easier for me to download movies that I own for the psp than to convert them. I did that with Taledega Nights after the DVD kept crashing my ripping software.
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solar - 453 days 9 hours ago
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7 -
Steam. Crysis and Crysis Warhead uses it's own DRM system on Steam. seriously? come the hell on. Steam tells you that you can install any games purchased as many times as you want. but not Crysis and C:W.

this is how it was explained to me on Crytek's site. you can install the game on your PC as many times as you want. unless you reformat, or upgrade a CPU or a GPU, anything that changes from the first time you installed the game. so in the authorization process, if EA sees you have different hardware, you have to reauthorize your legitimate copy of the game. you can do that 5 times. imagine if you are having major hardware issues and you have a bunch of parts fail at the same time. it would be a nightmare. eff DRM. i wanted to buy these games off Steam but now im not until i see EA's DRM go bye bye.
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kindi_boy - 452 days 18 hours ago
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8 - The Sore Simple Fact
DRM IS PUSHING PEOPLE WHO ARE ACTUALLY GOING TO BUY GAMES TO JUST DOWNLOAD A PIRATED COPY BECAUSE THEY ARE SCARED OF THE FUTURE!

THEY BUY SOMETHING THEY WANT TO KEEP FOREVER!
DRM BLOWS UP THE "FOREVER" PART!
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